Home automation systems play an increasingly important role in providing consumers with an ability to monitor and control a wide range of devices in the home including heating units and air conditioners, lighting, sound and entertainment, doors and security cameras, as well as any other system, appliance, or apparatus that can be connected to home network. It is presently possible to control the devices in the home through a centralized interface such as touchpad or computer, and to add additional devices to the system and enable them to be controlled through the centralized interface.
While home automation systems work well in many settings, the centralized control interface is not always sufficient, particularly for those users wanting to control devices from remote locations. Unfortunately, existing remote access schemes provide neither a simple and easy-to-use control interface nor enable remote access to the home from mobile communication devices.